Tolkien Rules
by Regency
Summary: Reid breaks a fundamental rule of Tolkien, with good reason. Reid/Morgan pre-slash if anything.


Author: Regency

Title: Tolkien Rules

Fandom: _Criminal Minds_

Pairing: Reid/Morgan

Rating: PG

Spoilers: None.

Word count: 660

Summary: Reid breaks a fundamental rule of Tolkien.

Author's Notes: Written for the comment_fic prompt _Criminal Minds, Reid/Morgan, "One does not simply walk into Mordor."_

AN II: Is that constructive criticism I spy? It had better be. Bring it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters recognizable as being from _Criminal Minds_. They are the property of their producers, writers, and studios, not me. No copyright infringement was intended and no money was made in the writing or distribution of this story. It was good, clean fun.

~!~

_One does not simply walk into Mordor_, he recalled telling Morgan only yesterday.

They'd been on the plane for hours to reach their destination and the distractions they'd brought along had run out fast. When even sleep failed, they'd been left with each other as the rest of the team had found more engaging ways to kill time.

Reid had sort of uneasily offered the place across from him to his fellow agent and been surprised when Morgan had accepted. He'd come over with his usual ease and sat right down. He hadn't necessarily seemed in the mood to talk, but Reid had never been a proponent of silence for its own sake, so he'd begun to talk.

"Did you know that one of these most quoted literary phrases in existence was written only decades ago by author J.R.R. Tolkien?" The question had been rhetorical, but Morgan's single raised eyebrow had been answer enough. Reid had carried on for lack anything better to say. "It goes that, _One does not simply walk into Mordor._ While 'Mordor' is a fictional fortress, it's of often been analogized with other hazardous locations in fiction and reality. For example, North Korea. One does not--"

"--simply walk into North Korea." Morgan nodded. "Got it. I've heard the phrase before. I've heard it said that one does not simply walk into Hotch's office, but I don't know about that."

Reid cracked a smile, dropping his eyes to nudge the deck of cards he'd been shuffling uselessly for the last hour. "That begs the question: Does one simply walk into anything?"

Morgan appeared intrigued and Reid was oddly glad of that. "Such as?"

"Such as..." He hesitated before elevated the cards sheepishly. "A card game?"

Morgan grinned and waved for him to deal the cards. "Bring it on, Dr Reid. I'm in the mood to kick somebody's ass at Aces Wild. Might as well be you."

Reid furrowed his brow and began to split the cards between them. He knew he looked worried and that was what he'd been counting on.

The young doctor handed the seasoned agent his ass.

Reid was still doing the mental victory lap as he stood outside a besieged bank twenty-six hours later. Somehow, he'd found himself on the outside looking in as three members of the local police department and Morgan had been taken hostage by a serial bank robber-cum-public sadist. He'd been on the outside looking in when the unsub'd put a bullet in Morgan's side, too. This was a game to him and he was prepared to see it to its conclusion; that conclusion being someone's death. Morgan was already halfway there.

The only way for this to end well was for the game to continue. For that to happen, the gamesman needed a new piece. He had requested, he had demanded.

He would be appeased.

Reid began to pull off his vest before anyone even noticed him nearby. He discreetly slipped his gun into his waistband behind his back in the hopes that it could be of use to someone inside. He could feel the dark—fiery and unblinking—eyes—_More than one_, he reminded himself, _more than one_—of the unsub on his face as he stepped out from the gaggle of officers around him. He could also feel those dark eyes of Hotch's burning into his back as he breached the crime scene tape. It swayed on the wind for a moment before swishing to the ground. It needn't have bothered; no one took a step over the proverbial line in the sand.

He was going where no sane man dared to tread.

While he'd never been particularly sane, someone had told him long ago that he was more than just a little bit brave. He hadn't believed them then.

Nevertheless, with palms upturned and bloody, beating heart as exposed as skin allowed, Spencer Reid stepped into Mordor.

And he was better for it.


End file.
